Robust line-up of new shows planned for PAL

Going forward, PAL, the latest Hindi general entertainment on Indian TV, is set to engage viewers with "exciting" campaigns and "innovative" shows over the next few months.

Launched Sep 1 with the promise to resonate with the ethos of the traditional yet modern Indian woman, the channel has found takers, especially from vital markers like Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Delhi and Mumbai.

But with an aim to increase the sampling of the platform by viewers, its officials have come up with two new campaigns -- 'Lakh lakh badhaiyaan' and 'Luka Chupi with Juhi'.

The channel's brand ambassador Juhi Chawla will be actively involved with the initiatives.

"Juhi would go on other channels of the Sony bouquet and she would invite viewers to sample PAL. Overall, our content has resonated with the viewers, but we're now looking at increasing our sampling via these initiatives," Anooj Kapoor, senior executive president and business head, Sony PAL and Sab TV, told IANS on phone from Mumbai.

Beginning mid-December, "Lakh lakh badhaiyaan" will reach out to PAL viewers across cities. It will involve answering some questions about its shows, and a daily winner of Rs.100,000 will be announced on the channel.

This contest will be followed by "Luka Chupi with Juhi", in which viewers will be invited to play hide-and-seek with the charming actress and win prizes.

The campaigns will be backed by the launch of new shows celebrating womanhood to catch the attention of the core target audience of female viewers.

While the channel's popular shows like "Sinhaasan Battisi", "Ek Rishta Aisa Bhi", "Yeh Dil Sun Raha Hai" and "Hamari Sister Didi" will continue to grip viewers' attention, three of its entertainers -- "Tum Saath Ho Jab Apne", "Pia Basanti Re" and "Khushiyo Ki Gullak Aashi" -- will be shut down soon.

Weekend shows "Simply Baatein with Raveena" and "Dil Hai Chotasa, Choti Si Asha" too will go off air.

"In about two to three weeks from now, we will be in a position to announce the new slate of shows," said Kapoor, adding that the channel will now have content Monday to Friday instead of Monday to Saturday.

PAL has also started showing movies, and in due course, they will look at television premieres of films. Overall, Kapoor conjectures a "good 2015" for the channel.